A New Dawn at Hogwarts
by SevysGal
Summary: Eleven year old Aurora is ecstatic about starting at Hogwarts, despite the efforts of her father to conceal her identity. When mysterious letters and dreams begin to terrorize the young girl, will Severus Snape be able to protect her from an unseen enemy?
1. Acceptance

_A/N: For all of you who read 'The Life of Aurora Renee', I hope you find the following, which is essentially a revised version, much more enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to read. _

Chapter One: Acceptance

Dark thunderheads crept through the sky over Spinner's End, casting a pall over the already dreary street and its surrounding buildings. To the rare motorist who traversed the main road through the desolate factory town, the derelict houses, with their unkempt gardens and rotting siding would seem the last place any person would want to call home. But for one small girl watching the rapidly approaching storm with her round hazel eyes through the grimy window of a particularly dismal house at the end of a long row, Spinner's End and the isolated town around it was home, and had been for as long as she could remember. It was where her father had brought her to live after her mother had died, and where she had remained, with her father's brother and her godfather to watch over her.

Aurora Snape sighed with boredom as she continued to watch the skies. Though life outside the walls seemed depressing and bleak, life inside the abode was usually far different. Unless, of course, it was the summer holiday. Things always took a turn for the worse during the summer – for it was during those weeks from late June until the end of August that her father returned. It was then that the normally jovial attitude in the house took on a distinctly sour tone. Aurora glanced over at where her father sat in his armchair by the fire, his face hidden by the latest edition of _The Daily Prophet_. Severus Snape could not be more different than the regular inhabitants of the house at Spinner's End. Being gone for nearly ten months out of every year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he held the position of Potions Master, gave him little time to really know the daughter he sequestered here – or the two men who practically raised her.

It did not seem to bother him, Aurora thought – not for the first time – as she began to study him rather than the skies outside. Though he was on holiday, his posture as he sat was stiff and formal, as though he weren't at all comfortable in his surroundings. She knew exactly how he felt. Whenever he arrived, she felt on edge, careful not to do anything that might set off his notoriously nasty temper. Most days during the summer, she would be reading a book, or joking with her uncle, Steven, or her godfather, Malichi Melison. But both had errands today, and no amount of her begging convinced them to allow her to tag along. And so she sat, alone with the father she didn't really know, watching the clouds. To her eleven-year-old mind, if she sat there long enough, her father would be bound to notice her and engage her in conversation. The reality, however, was that she had been in the same room with him all morning, and he hadn't once looked up from the paper.

Aurora turned her attention back to the overcast day. Just as she'd finally decided that she would at least go and retrieve a book from her room to occupy her thoughts, she spotted an owl in the distance. There were no other wizarding families within miles - which meant that whatever the owl carried was for one of the four inhabitants of her house. Her large eyes followed the bird's progress as it headed directly towards the windowsill at which she sat, straining to recognize to whom it belonged. Larger than Kenoa, the family owl, the approaching messenger had feathers blacker than the curtain of stringy hair that framed her father's face. She knew that she, at least, had not seen it before.

Severus looked up idly as the owl landed on the windowsill and pecked at the glass. Aurora looked to him for approval, and with his curt nod, she spun the lock and allowed the mysterious guest to enter. When it did not fly over to her father, as she'd expected, but instead dropped a letter onto her lap before again taking flight, it took a moment for the girl to realize what had happened. As she examined the decorative envelope addressed to her, the handwriting seemed to trigger recognition, but stayed tantalizingly out of reach. She turned the envelope over, and immediately knew what it was. The seal was unmistakable – it was the same that appeared on every missive to her father from his place of employment. It was a letter from Hogwarts – to her. She glanced up again, but her father seemed disinterested in the letter's contents.

It was no matter, however, as she had enough interest for the both of them. She tore into the envelope eagerly, only taking in the first few words before leaping from her chair and crossing the room to where Severus continued to read his paper. Aurora cleared her throat expectantly.

"Yes?" he said irritably, not putting down the paper.

"This letter just arrived, Father – it's from Hogwarts."

"Your point?"

"It was addressed to me," she went on, not sure if he understood the magnitude of what she held in her hand.

"Then you would do well to open it," he said shortly.

"I have." He sniffed derisively as he continued to read. "It says I've been accepted." Her father looked up from his paper, his cold black eyes snapping with impatience.

"And?" Aurora looked down at the letter, and then back at him, hope buoying at the prospect.

""It's not a mistake, is it? I mean, you'd already said that with you teaching there –"

"Obviously you are being permitted to go, or Professor McGonagall would not have sent you that letter." He returned to his paper, leaving her too stunned to reply. Aurora had the sudden urge to throw her arms around his neck and hug him – but was sure his reaction would not be pleasant.

"Th-thank you for changing your mind," she stammered instead. There was no response from behind the paper, and she wandered back to her seat in awe. She was going to _Hogwarts_. Steven and Malichi had been telling her stories of the school – both had attended, and Malichi had been Potions Master before her father – and of the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Aurora re-read her letter, her heart thumping with excitement. Wait until she told them – their excitement, she knew, would rival her own.

* * *

Malichi and Steven arrived within moments of each other, just before dinner. Aurora waited only until they'd removed their traveling cloaks before rushing to them and telling them her news, earning her a disapproving grunt from her father – now buried in a Potions text. Far from sharing her excitement, however, both men immediately turned startled gazes above her head to her father.

"That's some news," Steven said curtly as he continued to stare coldly at his brother, who seemed unaware that there was any issue in the corridor. Aurora was astonished at his reaction – though he resembled her father in every physical way, Steven's personality was the polar opposite of his older brother's, and he was normally warm and quick to laugh. The expression on his face now made it clear that laughter was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Indeed it is, Piccolino," Malichi agreed, diffusing her uncle's brusque reply with the use of his pet name for her. With his long grey hair flowing past his shoulders and the lines that leant character to his features, her godfather seemed frail, but Aurora knew better. He tore his eyes from Severus and turned a warning glance towards Steven, which the young girl took in with curiosity. "Come," he instructed, his arm stretched out to her welcomingly, "we will search the cupboards for something special for supper." She followed him obediently, casting a confused glance towards her uncle.

"Malichi, doesn't Uncle Steven want me to go to Hogwarts?" she asked as he began going through the cupboards.

"We all want what is best for you, Piccolino. The decision had been made to send you to Beauxbatons – Steven was simply surprised, that is all." Aurora frowned.

"But –"

"Hush, Piccolino. Aren't _you_ pleased to be going to Hogwarts?"

"Oh, yes!" she affirmed, her eyes lighting up.

"Then leave well enough alone, child. Do not ask so many questions." Aurora obeyed, but a nagging doubt had already seeded itself in her mind.

* * *

Steven waited only until Aurora and Malichi had left the room before voicing his displeasure.

"What happened to sending her to Beauxbatons?"

"I was not aware that I needed your approval to obtain the best education for my child," Severus snapped, his eyes not wavering from the text he studied.

"_You're_ the one who suggested it!" Steven argued, crossing the room to stand before his brother.

"And it was I who changed my mind," Severus retorted, his icy gaze flickering to the younger man. "It occurred to me that I would be best suited to watch over her during the term."

"Did it not also occur to you that many of your former _colleagues_ have children who will also be attending? What if one of them was to discover who she was – you said yourself that they wouldn't think twice about – she isn't safe where they can find her, Severus, and you damn well know it!" Steven's eyes held a mixture of emotions as Severus met them head-on – fear, anger, concern – nevertheless, Severus had made his decision only after much consideration, and he would not be swayed.

"I would _never_ place her in harm's way," Severus pointed out through gritted teeth. "And _you_ damn well know _that_. While Albus Dumbledore is Headmaster, the school is virtually impenetrable. She will be well protected there." Steven opened his mouth to say more, but was stopped by Malichi's arrival in the doorway.

"Supper's on." His voice was low as he checked back over his shoulder to verify Aurora was still in the kitchen. "And I would advise the two of you to at least _attempt_ to conceal your animosity at the moment."Without waiting for an answer, he turned and headed back into the kitchen, the two younger men close behind him.

* * *

Despite Malichi's warning, the tension at supper was apparent, even to Aurora. Severus hadn't spoken to any of them, and Steven refused to look up from his plate. Aurora was very disappointed. She'd been so excited when she got her letter, but now she felt as if a lead weight had settled in her stomach. Ever since she was old enough to talk she'd told her uncle that she wished she could go to Hogwarts. He'd always told her what a fine school it was, but now it seemed as though he was dead set against her going. Was it going to be like this the entire summer? 

"Aurora," Severus spoke suddenly, startling her enough to make her flinch, dropping the spoonful of peas she'd been holding to the floor. He eyed her critically while she cleaned them up, and then cleared his throat when she sat down again. "I want to discuss how you are to behave while you're at Hogwarts."

"I'm confused," she said, meeting his glare. "Even though I don't get out much, I think I know how to behave among other people." Her father's jaw clenched and Aurora braced herself for his sharp retort.

"He doesn't mean your behavior, really," Malichi broke in. "Just how you present yourself to the students and faculty."

"Oh, I understand now," she said irritably. "I'm going to be Aurora Rinkle again?" Severus nodded. "And I suppose I'll have to use the glamour potion, too?" At the second nod from her father, Aurora tried to choke down the lump that had begun to rise in her throat. "Am I ever going to be allowed to be myself?" she asked quietly, staring down at her plate.

"Nobody is telling you not to be," Severus admonished, his voice taking on its usual irritable tone. "All we require is that you do not tell people that you're my daughter. That has nothing to do with how you choose to act."

"That's where you're wrong!" She surprised even herself by standing up from her chair. Her eyes focused on him, anger and hurt burning brightly in them. Realizing that she had shouted, she lowered her voice. "It's going to be the same as it is every time I'm allowed to leave the house – a rehearsed answer to every question anyone should ask. It's hard enough to lie convincingly for a few hours – how can I be myself when I don't look like myself, and have to be careful about what I say every second of every day?" Tears had begun to stream down her cheeks, but they went unheeded as she continued on. " When I got the letter, I thought that this year, it might be different. Stupid me. Why would you suddenly decide to admit that I'm your daughter, just because I'm going to be in the same building with you for ten months?" The two brothers stared at her in shock, while Malichi took in the scene stoically as she ran from the room. Steven got up to follow her, but Severus stopped him.

"She's my daughter, Steven."

"Then act like it! Tell her the truth, Severus! She can't go on believing that she's done something worthy of how you treat her!" Seeing that he was going to get no response from his brother, he threw down his napkin and stalked out, slamming the door behind him. Severus leaned back in his chair, rubbing his throbbing temples.

"The child has already begun to ask questions, son," Malichi intoned quietly, picking up his fork to finish his meal. "I suggest you start being a bit more forthcoming with her."

"She'll do as she's told, Malichi. The details need not concern her."

"Not if you want her to loathe you by the end of term, no." Severus closed his eyes against the older man's words, wishing – not for the first time – that for just one day, nobody would contradict him.

"Do me the favor of allowing me to rear my daughter in the manner in which I see fit," he retorted tersely, standing abruptly from the table and climbing the stairs towards the sanctity of his bedroom. He hesitated as he neared Aurora's door. Should he speak with her, or simply let her be angry? Surely nothing he could say would comfort her – he was not likely to change his mind. But still – oughtn't he at least _try_? Finally coming to a decision, he braced himself, and then opened the door without bothering to knock.

"Aurora." She was sitting on the bed, facing the window when he entered. As he spoke, she turned to him expectantly. At that moment, the sunset cast an eerie red glow over her face, giving him an intense feeling of foreboding. "Goodnight," he said, quickly shutting the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment, his heart pounding. Not one to normally believe in signs, the pall which had passed over her face nevertheless stuck in his mind as he continued on to his room, and haunted his dreams.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Aurora refused to look at her father. Steven had not returned from wherever it was he'd gone, and the lack of his presence disturbed her. She hadn't even volunteered to cook breakfast - something she usually begged to do. Instead, she simply re-read her Hogwarts letter until her father called her in to the kitchen. She ate quickly, not saying a word to either her father or godfather, then laid her dishes in the sink and went back up to her room. Neither man made any effort to speak with her, but she was not surprised. Her father's conversations normally consisted of laying down rules, and became awkward and forced when the subject turned to anything else. As for her godfather – Malichi was nearly as reticent as Severus, though he did make his affection for her known on a somewhat regular basis. It was Steven who was her consoler, Steven who made everything seem well again. But Steven was nowhere to be found. 

September first. That was when she would be able to start school. Looking at the calendar, she realized with a start that it was only three weeks away. Perusing the list of items she'd need for the term, she toyed with the idea of asking Malichi to take her to Diagon Alley for her supplies. Realizing that her uncle's feelings would probably be hurt, she decided against it, and leaned back on her bed with a heavy sigh. The door suddenly swung open to reveal her father, his ever-present scowl firmly in place.

"What?" she asked irritably.

"Mind your tone when you speak to me. I do not want last night's episode to become a regular occurrence." Ignoring his warning, she looked back up at him haughtily, then addressed him with a confidence she didn't truly feel.

"What are you going to do? Put me on restriction?" She gave a humorless laugh. "I'm not allowed to go anywhere, and you've made sure I haven't any friends, so what good will it do?" His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It's not too late to send you to Beauxbatons." Aurora bit back a retort before he made good on his promise. "Steven is going to take you to Diagon Alley. I suggest you get ready immediately if you wish to go." She jumped from the bed excitedly and ran to her mirror to put up her hair, stopping when her father's arm appeared in front of her, a vial in his outstretched hand. Aurora knew without being told what the milky white potion swirling inside the container was. She'd had to take it her entire life – any time she stepped foot outside of the house.

The reasoning had never been made clear to her – her uncle and godfather tended to refer the matter back on her father's wishes, and her father was not very receptive to questions. With dismay, she took the potion, and then watched her reflection as it took effect. Her flowing auburn hair that she'd inherited from her mother became thin, blonde, and shorter than her father's, and the upturned button nose – again, a gift from her mother – turned down, and elongated. The almond shaped green eyes of her disguise stared back at her, and without a word to her father, she brushed past him and hurried down the stairs to where Steven was waiting.

"Let's go," she urged, grabbing his arm and starting towards the door.

"Ra-" Aurora stopped at the use of his pet name for her. Steven was grinning. "You don't want to _walk_ all the way to London, do you?"

"Might as well," she said in conspiratorial tones as her father descended the stairs. "It's not like it's going to be any fun around _here_ for a while." She smiled back at him as he guffawed loudly – maybe last night hadn't ruined the entire summer after all. They made their way past Severus, both Steven and Aurora carefully avoiding his glowering stare, and out the back door into the garden. Steven took Aurora by the hand, smiled at her, and with a loud _crack_, they had left Spinner's End behind. Aurora looked around as they Apparated at the far end of Diagon Alley, just outside of the Leaky Cauldron.

Every time they came, it seemed as though there was something new to look at. This morning it was a group of witches – touring on holiday, from the look of them. Dressed in identical bright orange robes with green pointed hats, they were ogling everything in sight. As Steven and Aurora passed by them, she heard them talking amongst themselves in a language she didn't recognize. One of the witches – an old, hunched over woman with sagging skin and bloodshot eyes – caught her stare. Aurora smiled in what she hoped was a friendly way as the old witch narrowed her eyes and muttered something to her compatriots.

Aurora quickly turned her attention back to the street ahead of her, her heart leaping when they arrived outside Flourish and Blotts – by far her favorite store. Steven was muttering to himself and glancing at her school list, while the small girl looked in wonder at the thousands of books that were crammed inside the building. She wandered away, her fingers grazing the spines as she walked among them. Her distress at having to be disguised yet again was momentarily forgotten as she perused the tomes cluttering the area.

She was disappointed to find nothing of new interest in the first several shelves – she hadn't been to Diagon Alley in nearly six months – but her breath caught in her throat as she rounded a stack of precariously balanced books on kneazles. Nearly hidden by shadows at the very rear of the store, a battered sign read 'Muggle Books – ½ price'.

Aurora made her way to the deserted aisle eagerly. Her father, of course, would never have allowed her near the books, but both Aurora and her uncle found Muggles intensely interesting. Having been taught at home while her father was away, Steven had made sure she'd had exposure to the non-magical world of Muggles. He was, by night, a stage magician, performing sleight of hand and other tricks that did not breach the International Statues of Secrecy.

Standing directly beneath the sign, Aurora devoured the titles that loomed before her. Some she had heard of, even read, but there were quite a few of which she knew nothing about. She selected one at random, pulling it from the shelf and scanning the synopsis on the back cover before replacing it and pulling the next down.

"_There_ you are!" Steven was frowning slightly as he crossed the crowded shop to stand beside her, a stack of textbooks in his arms.

"_Muggle_ books!" Aurora explained, pulling yet another from its spot. "Oh! It's a cookbook!" She flipped through the pages hungrily, her eyes shining with delight as they devoured each recipe.

"Ra, we haven't the time – I've got all your books, we have to be getting on."

"Can't I get one of these as well?" she implored, giving him what she hoped was a woebegone expression. For a moment, it looked as though he was going to refuse, but he shook his head and smirked.

"Oh, all right. You know I can't resist that puppy-dog stare. But just one," he added, as she began pulling several from the shelves.

After ten excruciating minutes of being unable to decide, she closed her eyes and selected one at random.

"_Excellent_!" she beamed. The book was entitled _Don Quixote_, bore an image of a windmill and two men on horses, one of them in full armor. It had the added benefit of being extremely thick, which meant that it might entertain her through the rest of the summer.

"Let's get over to the till, then," Steven suggested, gently taking her arm and guiding her through the throngs of customers. They stopped at the counter – which was six inches higher than the top of Aurora's head – and he set their purchases down. Aurora stepped back in order to survey the wizened clerk. Though he seemed permanently hunched over, she had a feeling that he would be taller than her uncle if he could stand straight up. Tufts of what looked to be brown hair stuck up at odd intervals in a horseshoe shape around his head, giving him a slightly dodgy look. The clerk looked down his bulbous nose at the books on the counter, and then turned his eyes to Aurora.

"Daughter off to Hogwarts, sir?" he asked, his dull blue eyes surveying her critically.

"Yes. That is – she isn't my daughter, but yes, she's been accepted at Hogwarts this term."

"Bit of goblin in her, I reckon?" The clerk asked. Steven looked confused for a moment.

"Merlin's beard, no. All wizard," he assured the other man. The clerk cocked an eyebrow and looked slightly skeptical, and Aurora felt her fists tighten in anger by her sides. She knew she was rather short for eleven – one of the aspects of her true appearance that the glamour potion did _not_ alter – but she was sick and tired of getting stares of incredulity when people heard her age.

"Excuse _me_," she addressed him through clenched teeth, prepared and eager to tell the clerk off. "Just because someone _happens _to be-" Steven cast a furrowed brow in her direction to silence her as he hurriedly dug out the coins from his pocket and pressed them into the clerk's hand.

"Thank you," Steven said quickly, scooping up the books – now tightly wrapped in brown paper – and taking Aurora's arm as before – though this time, his hold was much firmer. Aurora cast a glare over her shoulder at the man, who had already turned to the next customer in line. Only when they'd passed through the doors of the bookshop did Steven release his grip.

"Aurora, we've talked about that temper before," he chided softly, his brows still furrowed.

"What do you want me to do? Pretend that I didn't get what he meant?" she fumed, stuffing her still-balled hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"I'd expect you'd be used to it by now." She turned on him immediately.

"So just because I'm short I have to get _used_ to people treating me like I couldn't possibly be human?"

"Of course not – but getting angry doesn't solve anything," he responded patiently. They had resumed walking, making their way towards Madam Malkin's Robes.

"Makes me feel better," she muttered as an unseen bell chimed their arrival into the shop. Steven seemed not to hear her as he greeted Madam Malkin warmly. She glanced around his shoulder at Aurora, nodded, said something in low tones to Steven, and then promptly disappeared into the back room.

"In any case," Steven said cheerfully, taking a seat at the front of the shop, "You go off on your classmates, you're liable to end up with an extra set of arms. Mind you, they could be useful in keeping your room tidy..."His words had the effect she knew he wanted – her grimace of fury softened as she struggled to keep from laughing. "Might need _six_ arms, though, at the rate your messes spread." She was nearly there – her mouth was twitching up at the corners – "I'll write Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure there's bound to be a hex for that sort of thing. Make sure it gets spread around the school, so there are plenty of opportunities…"Aurora clamped a hand over her mouth as she heard an involuntary snicker emerge. Too late – Steven had heard it, and beamed triumphantly at her as Madam Malkin returned.

Though the robes the tailor witch had brought were twice Aurora's size, Steven kept up a diatribe of quirky ideas on things she should be on the lookout for at school, effectively keeping the girl's anger in check while Madam Malkin began to pin the hem.

"Don't move, dear," Madam Malkin said as Aurora began to fidget. She begrudgingly stood still, though she continued to shoot looks towards Steven, who finally began to laugh at her.

"It will look fine when she's done," he assured her. "Madam Malkin is the best robe maker in London." The old witch beamed with this praise, and began moving a bit faster, finally standing back and nodding approvingly.

"You're done now, dear." Aurora jumped down eagerly, and dragged Steven from the shop.

"I thought we'd never get out of there!" she said, sinking onto a bench dramatically.

"Well, we have," Steven said, frowning as he glanced down at his watch. "But it took longer than I expected. I've an appointment later this afternoon. We'd best get a move on." He steered her towards the apothecary, and as they crossed the threshold, Aurora realized she'd never been inside.

The interior was dimly lit and smelled faintly of old socks, freshly dug earth, and dragon dung. Along the walls were shelves filled with jars, each containing something she could not discern. Barrels hid some of the shelves from view – the ones closest to Aurora and Steven were filled to the brim with beetle eyes, dragon livers, and rat tails. Aurora began to examine everything with interest, feeling slightly disappointed when Steven hurried her out what seemed like seconds later, her supplies tucked under his arm.

"There were loads of ingredients in there!" Aurora announced as they began walking towards the other end of the alley.

"Yes - if you know how to brew them, Potions can be used for almost anything," Steven agreed, his hand pressed lightly against her back as he steered her through the other shoppers. Aurora glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her mind whirring.

"That's why Father enjoys them," she realized quietly. "They give him control – they even let him create the perfect daughter." Steven stopped mid-stride and stared down at her, his jaw open. Shaking his head, he took her elbow and quickly led her to a bench, where he forced her to sit.

"Ra, look at me," he instructed, taking the spot next to her. She lifted her head slowly and looked at him. "Your father – he _does_ love you. Just as you are."

"It sure doesn't feel like it."

"I know," he sighed. "But trust me. How could he not? You're smart, funny, and beautiful. Of course, you get your good looks from me." He tossed his head and posed pompously. With his short-cropped inky hair, coal-black eyes and hooked nose, he and her father held no resemblance to her. Aurora giggled, but stopped as she remembered she didn't even look like _herself._ "Now, we'll hear no more nonsense about your father wanting you to be anything than what you are, okay?" Steven went on, apparently oblivious to her change in mood. "C'mon," he said, standing up and offering her his hand. "Let's go get your wand." Aurora nodded curtly, not convinced by his words. Still, she took his proffered hand, and as they approached Ollivander's, she couldn't help but feel a tremor of excitement as she thought of obtaining her first wand. Steven's mood, however, grew increasingly darker. Despite his reassurances to his niece, her words clutched painfully at his heart.

"Damn you, Severus," he muttered.


	2. Anticipation

Chapter Two: Anticipation

At the house down Spinner's End, Severus stood at the kitchen table, creating a list in his mind of all the supplies he would need to replace before the start of term. He had just decided that a trip to Diagon Alley would be necessary when Aurora came bursting through the back door. Upon seeing him, she rushed over, waving her wand frantically. She was breathless, and her face was flushed with excitement.

"What is it, child?" he asked testily.

"You won't believe it, Father! My wand-"

"What of it? And stop waving it around! You're liable to have it go off!" He grabbed it from her hand and tossed it onto the table, but it didn't seem to deter her enthusiasm.

"We went to Ollivander's for my wand, and we tried dozens of them before we found it! Maple, dragon heartstring core, seven and a half inches – Uncle Steven said it's identical to yours! Do you think that means I'll be good in Potions?" Severus looked at her for a moment – at her eyes wide with excitement, a shape somewhere between almond and round as her glamour was wearing off - then quickly shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous," he retorted, turning back to his supplies. "Potion making has little to do with wands."

"Oh." Her mood was instantly deflated, and though he resolved to continue staring at the bottles lined up before him, he could see her crestfallen face from the corner of his eye. "Sorry to bother you. I'll just go and put away my school things." She retrieved her wand from the table, and then picked up her other parcels and walked out dejectedly. He felt the urge to call her back, but whether he would have or not, the loud _crack_ of Steven Apparating next to him deterred him.

"What did you do?" he demanded on seeing Aurora sweeping around the corner. "She was so excited a moment ago!"

"I didn't do anything, Steven. She was overjoyed at the prospect of having one of the most common wands in existence."

"It's amazing you're able to teach students," Steven observed dryly. "Dense as you are. Wake _up!_ She was excited because she had something in common with you!" Steven was pleased to see that his words had a slight effect on his brother, and he continued unabashed, although he lowered his voice. "She inferred today that she believes you make her use a glamour potion in public because you're ashamed of her." Severus met his brother's stare as his lip curled defiantly.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that you're a slimy git who doesn't realize what he has until he's lost it – what do you think I told her? That even though you don't show it, you love her as she is." Severus nodded curtly in approval. "Severus, go talk to her," Steven urged softly, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. Severus shrugged it away as he squared his back.

"I wouldn't have the faintest idea what to say," he stated flatly.

"Severus-"

"It's too late, Steven. Nothing I say will make any difference now." Steven shook his head sadly as he saw the all too familiar stubborn streak surface on his brother's face. Convincing Severus to change his mind was like trying to move a mountain.

"You're wrong, Severus, and we both know it."

* * *

Aurora sat on her bed, surrounded by the packages she and her uncle had purchased that day. She could hear her father and uncle arguing, but couldn't hear their words.

_Probably fighting about me,_ she thought to herself. Determined not to let her father completely ruin her excitement over going to Hogwarts, she began to unwrap her supplies. Taking out her copy of Magical Drafts and Potions, she began to leaf through it, pleasantly surprised to see that it was set up much like a cookbook. Before she knew it, she was engrossed, and itching to start her Potions class. She set it aside as she heard a knock on her door a few moments later, and Steven entered, forcing a smile.

"Hey Ra."

"Hey Uncle Steven." He came over and cleared off a space on her bed to sit on.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking at my books. The Potions one is actually very interesting."

"I was never very good at Potions," he said, leafing through it. "I always liked Charms, myself."

"I haven't looked through that one yet," she said as she began to stack her books in her trunk.

"Well, you've got plenty of time for that, haven't you?" he said, handing her the last of her supplies.

"Yeah, I guess so," she said as she put the new copy of Don Quixote on her bookshelf.

"Ra, do you want to talk about what happened today?" She shrugged noncommittally.

"Come here," he said, holding his arms open. She ran into them gratefully, burying her head in his cloak. He rubbed her back affectionately, and then kissed the top of her head. "I love ya, kiddo."

"Love you, too." He stood up suddenly, causing her to fall over. He leaned over and tickled her, making her giggle uncontrollably.

"Come on, let's go down and make dinner," he announced, tossing her over his shoulder as he carried her down the stairs.

* * *

Severus was surprised when he heard Steven and Aurora coming down. They certainly didn't sound as though they were upset. After he heard them rummaging in the kitchen, he walked in. Their chatter died abruptly, and then Aurora forced a smile.

"I'm just seeing if we have what I need," she explained with a jab towards the cupboard. Severus said nothing, but arched a jagged black brow in question. "For dinner," she went on. "I saw the recipe in a Mug-" she caught herself just in time. "In a mug-stained cookbook in Flourish and Blotts today."

"Nice save," Steven whispered as he, too, turned to his brother. "She couldn't have looked at that book for more than a couple of minutes, but she remembers that recipe almost word for word. It's amazing!" Aurora blushed under the praise, and looked back at her ingredients.

"It's not that big of a deal. It was a simple recipe, that's all."

"I certainly couldn't remember anything after only glancing at it," Steven said, shaking his head in amazement.

"That may explain how you blew up your second year cauldron, Steven." Aurora and her uncle exchanged astonished looks.

"Did you just make a joke, Severus?" He clapped his brother on the back approvingly. Severus smiled thinly, then sat at the table as Malichi came breezing in.

"In time for supper? Excellent," he beamed, taking a seat across from Severus as Aurora began preparing the meal.

"It smells edible, at any rate," Severus commented, purposefully avoiding Malichi's disapproving gaze as Aurora took the chicken from the oven. The child was practically beaming as she placed it on the counter. Her father's comment was as close to a compliment as she was likely ever to get. Steven reached up and retrieved four plates and four sets of silverware, setting them on the table. As Severus removed the topmost place setting, Aurora drank up the atmosphere. This was how life was supposed to be. Everybody satisfied and serene - and not yelling. She sighed contentedly as she took her seat.

"Steven, what do you propose to do with yourself once the term has begun?" Steven's fork stopped halfway to his mouth, and Aurora felt the warm and fuzzy feeling she'd had begin to falter.

"I will do as I've always intended, Severus - go back to the stage with my Muggle magic."

"I thought as much." Severus said with a knowing nod and a slight sneer.

"Something on your mind?" Steven asked, looking at him oddly.

"It simply occurred to me that with both Aurora and I gone until June, you'll be able to take some of those tours you've always lamented missing, won't you?" Steven laid down his fork, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What do you mean, both of you will be gone until June? You're not going to permit Ra to come home for the holidays?"

"She will be at home. At Hogwarts. It will give me the chance to spend holidays with her. And do not call her by that infernal nickname. "

"She is not staying there for ten months straight, Severus!" A patch of red began to crawl up Steven's neck from beneath his collar, rapidly spreading to his face as he glared at his brother.

"Oh? And what do you plan on doing about it?" Steven stood, his hands clenched into fists.

"I -"

"Do either of you care what I want to do?" Aurora asked softly. They both turned to look at her; Steven with a look of apology, and Severus with indifference. Malichi continued eating, taking in the scene before him.

"This is not a choice for you to make," Severus observed.

"Why not? They're my holidays, aren't they? Shouldn't I be allowed to decide if I want to spend them here or not?"

"Of course you should!" Steven declared. Aurora stared at Severus expectantly.

"It is all too clear which choice you prefer," he said icily.

"That's right, I forgot you know _everything_," she replied darkly, ignoring the visible tightening of his jaw. Standing up, she looked at him, her eyes flashing angrily. "And tell me, Father, why do you feel the need to spend holidays with me now? You've always had the chance to come home before, and you never have. So _don't_ try to tell me that you're doing this to be with me, because I'm not stupid!" No doubt seeing that her words had little effect, she walked up to her room, leaving the three men alone. Steven stared after her, and then turned to Severus.

"Severus, you have to do something!"

"I don't have to do anything!" he hissed, standing up abruptly. "She is better off hating me."

"She doesn't hate you!"

"Now who's being dense?" Severus asked coldly. Steven said nothing before grunting in frustration, and leaving his brother and Malichi alone.

"If _that_ is how you intend to behave during term, son, neither of you will survive past Halloween." Malichi had laid his fork aside, and now sipped from a mug of coffee, his brown eyes fixed on Severus' face.

"I am in no mood for your incessant lectures, Malichi," Severus retorted, sinking back into his chair.

"And yet you remain. Interesting. I note that no mention was made of _my_ pursuits after the lot of you have gone," he observed with a smirk.

"Perhaps because I don't give a tinker's damn," the younger man retorted, picking up his fork and piercing a bit of chicken.

"Well, as I've spent the last several years playing professor at your request – despite my supposed retirement – I thought I was long overdue for an extended holiday," Malichi went on, ignoring his remark.

Severus tossed his fork back onto his plate in disgust as he realized he no longer had an appetite. "Then go on your blasted holiday already and allow me some peace for what remains of _mine_." Like his brother before him, he stood unceremoniously from the table and stalked from the room, leaving the older wizard and the half-eaten dinner behind.

* * *

Aurora lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she listened to the raised voices in the kitchen. After a moment, there was silence, and she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her father didn't hesitate on his way to his own room, and she fought back the lump that was rising in her throat.

"Can't a day go by in this house without someone fighting with somebody else?" she muttered to herself as she got undressed and ready for bed. Sleep eluded her, so she took out her schoolbooks again. Looking through them, she found that her uncle had been right about Charms; it certainly looked like a lot of fun. After she had read it front to back, her eyes began to droop. She returned the book to its place in her trunk, and then climbed back into bed.

A thousand thoughts ran through her head as she closed her eyes – but her frustration at her father's rules kept her awake. He wasn't going to bend – he hadn't once that she could remember, not in eleven years – but she knew that she could not stand seven years at Hogwarts without being permitted to be herself. There was no way around using the false name – she knew that. But why shouldn't she at least _look_ like herself? She didn't look a thing like her father – nobody would be able to make the connection – but _how_? She had to find out – before the first of September. Suddenly, three weeks seemed as though it were no time at all.

* * *

The how, she realized the next day was simple: find a counter for the glamour potion, or else create a new one, neither of which would be easy. Her first task was to find the actual potion that her father brewed. There was no mention of any glamour potion in her _Magical Drafts and Potions_ text – not that she really expected it – and so she grimly decided that she should look in the many texts which lined the walls of their tiny sitting room downstairs. The problem, however, was that her father normally occupied the sitting room, which gave her little chance to peruse them.

An opportunity did not arise until the Sunday before she was to leave for school. Her father had decided on a trip to Diagon Alley to replenish his stock, and had – under duress – taken Malichi with him. While Steven set out to degnome the garden, Aurora feigned sickness and surreptitiously began flipping through the volumes. She had reached the last bookcase, and had begun to panic slightly at her failure to find _anything _remotely related to glamour potions, when she found it.

As though fate were apologizing, both the glamour potion and the counter were in the front of an aged text whose title had long since worn off. Aurora scanned them both – the counter would take six days – which gave her _very_ little time. She read and re-read the page, and then returned the book to its proper place.

After glancing through the back window to be sure her uncle was still preoccupied, Aurora hurried up the stairs and into her father's bedroom. The far wall housed a wide armoire, which she knew he used as his store cupboard. She grasped the handle and tugged, slightly surprised that it opened easily. Apparently, her father fancied he had no reason to keep it locked. Aurora quickly measured out the ingredients she would need, stored them in her own potion phials, and hurried to her bedroom, where she closed the door behind her.

She was able to see Steven in the garden from her window, and she set to work, every few minutes checking to be sure he would not interrupt her before she was prepared to hide her cauldron. Pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill, she hurriedly wrote down the potion she'd memorized. Her cauldron was already set up at the bottom of her trunk, and as she lit a small fire beneath it with Muggle matches she'd procured from her uncle's room, she had a fleeting thought that it would never work. _Bound to go wrong_, she rationalized. _I'm lighting a _fire_ inside of a trunk!_ She had not taken into account, however, that being a magical trunk meant being prepared for these sorts of things.

When it seemed that she would not, in fact, burn the house down, she began to prepare the potion according to the instructions she'd re-written. After adding the first ingredients, she saw that she would have to let it sit for several hours before continuing. Just as the trunk lid closed, her bedroom door swung open. Aurora jumped to her feet, turning towards the intruder as she tried not to look guilty.

"It is a lovely day, Piccolino," Malichi said in lieu of greeting, his eyes scrutinizing her face. "You should be outside helping your uncle in the garden."

"I – I wasn't feeling very well, Malichi," she made excuse, as she had earlier. "I was just going to have a lie-down." His eyes left her face and roved around her room. Seeing nothing amiss, he nodded brusquely.

"I shall bring you some hot soup," he said as she climbed beneath her covers.

"Thank you," she replied in a small voice. Malichi looked around the room once more, but said nothing as he pulled the door closed. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief after he'd gone. It was going to be a long week.

But fate seemed on her side yet again. Malichi left early the next morning on his long-awaited retirement holiday, which left Aurora breathing much easier. Her uncle was not suspicious by nature, and her father – well, he seldom knew what she got up to in the first place. It was not difficult to sneak off at odd times to check on the potion, and she was pleased to see that on Saturday morning, it had turned the exact shade of puce she'd expected. In a trice, she emptied the cauldron into a phial, corked it, and hid it in the pocket of the jeans she'd set out for the next day's journey. If all went accordingly, tomorrow would be the last time she'd ever have to stomach a glamour potion.


	3. Arrivals

_Chapter Three: Arrivals_

"Scales?"

"Yes."

"Cauldron?"

"Yes."

"You've repacked that trunk at least ten times," Severus remarked as he leaned against the doorframe of his daughter's room, surveying the jumbled mess within.

"I just don't want to forget anything! What's next on the list?"

Severus sighed irritably as Steven continued to read from the list. "Robes?"

"Got 'em!"

"Wand?"

"Ooh, I just had it a minute ago -" Aurora picked up the robes from her trunk as she searched frantically for her wand, and was surprised when it appeared over her shoulder. Turning, she saw that her father was holding it out for her to take.

"On the bed," he chided

"Thanks!" she said, putting it in her trunk.

"That's the last of it." Severus had not been exaggerating when he commented on how often she'd been checking her trunk. It seemed as though every few moments that day, she and Steven had checked the contents. Now, less than twenty-four hours before her departure, every fiber of her being seemed alive with excitement.

"Now, if you are quite through -" Severus began.

"What about my schoolbooks? Have I packed them?" Aurora asked, looking frantically around her room.

"On the bottom, next to your cauldron," Steven answered with an indulgent grin.

"Oh, good."

"We need to have dinner now," Severus intoned, his patience wearing thin.

"I'll be just a minute, I want to make sure -"

"Everything is in there, child!" His eyes mirrored the impatience he felt, and he heard his voice rising with agitation. "We will go down and eat. Now!" His tone left no room for argument as she followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"I was like this right before I left for my first year, Ra," Steven confided as he swept into the kitchen behind them. Since their trip to Diagon Alley, he'd seemed much more receptive to sharing in her enthusiasm for starting school. Aurora hadn't asked why – she was just happy that he'd come around. "I remember being_ so_ excited that I'd finally get to go to Hogwarts and learn some jinxes to try on Severus."

"Did you learn any good ones?" she asked, averting her eyes from what she was sure would be a disapproving glare from her father.

"None I hadn't learned before first year," Severus said with a contemptuous sneer.

"I seem to remember one occasion-"

"Eat," Severus said shortly. "I have no wish to travel down memory lane with you."

Aurora looked at her father curiously before turning back to her uncle. "What did you do?"

Steven leaned in closer, looking at Severus with a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. "I followed him and your mum out to their favorite spot, and just as he was about to kiss her, I shouted '_petrificus totalus!'_ and he fell into the lake!" He guffawed loudly, and though she struggled to suppress it, a giggle erupted from Aurora's own mouth. When she turned to see her father's reaction, the laughter died in an instant. His lips were set in a straight line, and his hands were clenching the table so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His eyes seemed to be staring off into another world.

"Father?" she ventured. Severus abruptly looked at her, and regained his composure as Steven cleared his throat uncomfortably. For a moment her father was silent, content to stare at his brother with a look of loathing.

"I need to be getting to Hogwarts to prepare my classroom. Aurora, I'll see you after you arrive tomorrow evening. I have left an ample supply of the glamour draught – do not forget it." He stood and went through the back door, where his trunk was waiting. Aurora watched him go, guiltily thinking of the counter she'd finished just that morning, but he did not look back before Disapparating from the garden.

* * *

"That was strange, even for Father," Aurora mentioned later as she helped Steven put the dishes away. 

"I shouldn't have told that story," Steven admonished himself softly. "He does go odd when he remembers your mum."

"The story _was_ funny, but -" she broke off, biting her lower lip as she struggled with her thoughts.

"But what?" he asked as they climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

"Well, maybe I didn't get sad because I don't have any memories of her." She sat on her bed, clutching one of her pillows. "He never talks about her, not even when I ask him directly." Steven sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for the inevitable request. "What was my mother like?" He sighed, frustrated as always that he couldn't give her the information she needed.

"Ra, I've told you everything I know."

"I know," she said softly. "I just like to hear it, even if it's not much."

"All right, then," he conceded with another sigh. "You have to remember, I only spent two years with them at Hogwarts – and your father was never one to let me hang around him at school. All I knew about her was her name – Marie McDowell.

"It seemed as though you could never find your father without your mum," he relayed quietly. "I lost track of them after they graduated – but heard they'd been married soon afterward." He paused and looked down at his hands. "After you were born, your mum wrote to me. Invited me to come and stay with them. I did, for the rest of that summer. But then I went back for my final year at Hogwarts, and when I returned –"

"She was dead." she finished for him. He nodded sadly. "How -"

"You know perfectly well that I don't know." He patted her leg affectionately. "Your father was hired on at Hogwarts for the following term, and Malichi and I were entrusted with you. But I can tell this - you are the spitting image of your mum – right down to the tip of your nose."Aurora's face remained clouded, a slight frown pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Come on," Steven instructed, standing from the bed. "I didn't want to get you depressed before you leave for school. Time to sleep." She scrambled under the covers as he turned out her light. As he leaned down to kiss her goodnight, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Uncle Steven."

"You're welcome, Ra. Now go to sleep." Walking to the door, he looked back over at her, his heart nearly bursting. As he shut the door, he thought again that she should be told the truth about what had happened, but he had made a promise to Severus, and he would stick by his word.

* * *

Between the excitement of leaving for Hogwarts, the knowledge that the counter to the glamour potion was hidden in her pocket, and the questions that were always left unanswered after hearing about her mother, Aurora found it very difficult to sleep. Getting out of bed, she went over to her bookshelves, where she'd hidden the one thing she treasured above all else - a tiny bottle of lilac scented perfume. It was all she had of her mother - her uncle had given it to her when she was five, telling her he'd managed to hang on to it when her father was getting rid of all of her mother's other things. 

Whenever she felt sad or lonely, Aurora would get the bottle from her hiding spot and inhale the scent. She'd never even considered using the contents, partly because she was afraid her father would find out she had it and take it from her, and partly because she didn't want to lose the only link she had with her mother. Now, as she put the stopper back on, she placed it gently into her trunk. There was no way she was going to go ten months without it. Crawling back into bed with the scent of lilac hanging in the air, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Severus Apparated in Hogsmeade, the wizarding village located near Hogwarts, feeling very surly. His mood was not improved by the appearance of a few of his colleagues as they exited the Three Broomsticks, a popular pub. 

"Severus! Back from another mysterious summer trip, I suppose?" Professor Pomona Sprout was a short witch with unruly curls. She taught Herbology, and was by no means a shy person. Accompanying her were Madame Poppy Pomfrey, head of the hospital wing; and none other than Albus Dumbledore himself.

"Pomona, Poppy - _Albus_." He nodded curtly to the trio as he levitated his trunk and began to walk towards the school.

"When _will _you tell us what you do all summer?" Professor Sprout pressed as they fell into step beside him.

"When will _you_ understand that it's none of your concern?" Professor Sprout's eyes hardened slightly at his tone. She walked away with Madame Pomfrey, speaking so that they were sure to be overheard by everyone.

"Of course, it's hard _not_ to believe the rumors about his connection to _You-Know-Who_, what with all this secrecy about his holidays." He gritted his teeth and continued walking as if he hadn't heard her, though he would have loved to try a tongue-locking jinx on her. He sniffed as he thought of the reaction he'd get from his employer, forgetting that Albus was there until he spoke.

"Don't mind Pomona, Severus. She's been quite bitter since you rejected her invitation for dinner last year."

"Headmaster, I would prefer not to discuss this." Albus laid a hand on Severus' arm, stopping him from proceeding. He rolled his eyes skyward, and then looked back at headmaster, his head cocked in agitation, as the older wizard spoke again, a glint of humor shining in his eyes.

"Pomona's bitterness has only gotten worse since someone has started the rumor that you run to a woman every summer."

"Why you insist on spreading those blasted lies is beyond me," he replied darkly.

"_I _know that, but you should not remain a bachelor forever, Severus. In fact, I believe I know just the witch for you, she's -" Severus pulled his arm from Albus' grasp, his temper beginning to rise as he continued to the castle.

"How are Steven and Malichi?" Albus inquired, his voice light and innocent as he swiftly changed the subject.

_I know damn well that Malichi writes him,_ Severus said to himself, though he chose to feign ignorance. "They are, as usual, very tiresome. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to go back."

"No you don't," Albus said kindly. Severus saw him turn his head from the corner of his eye, no doubt ascertaining if there were any eavesdroppers before asking the inevitable: "How _is_ Aurora, Severus?" He couldn't stop a smirk from twitching onto his lips as he remembered how happy she was about attending Hogwarts.

"Very excited about coming here this year. Steven has been filling her head with stories of the countless mysterious secrets she'll find, of course." His face darkened as he continued. "However, my presence here is not as eagerly anticipated." He pushed open the front door of Hogwarts and made his way to the first floor, where the teachers' quarters were.

"And I'm sure that is entirely _your_ doing. I did express concern over forcing her to take on an assumed name."Severus' jaw clenched as Albus continued on. "Does Aurora notice that your eyes light up when you talk about her? Or do you hide that from her as well?" The words were spoken softly, but they served only to increase his ire. He was tense and rigid as he spoke the password and entered his room. Albus followed him unhesitatingly.

"Much as I appreciate your concerns-"

"She won't be a little girl forever, you know. If nothing changes, one day she will realize that all of her efforts to get close to you have failed, because of _you_, not her. Then you'll have lost her. Haven't you lost enough already? Is it really worth all of that?"

_At least she'll still be alive_, he thought, taking the headmaster by the arm and escorting him back to the hall.

* * *

Aurora and Steven stood at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, looking around for Muggles watching them. Aurora took a deep breath. This was where it all had to start. She had taken her glamour potion – as instructed, and as far as she knew, her uncle didn't suspect a thing. It was going to be tricky – being sure to drink the counter potion after she was out of sight of her uncle, but before she'd already met anyone else. There was only one way – 

"I can see myself to the train," she offered, bracing herself for the hurt look she knew was coming. She was not disappointed. "Well, what are people going to think? You look just like Father – and he teaches at the school – they'll _know_ something's fishy the minute they spot you. I'm to pretend I don't know him, right?" Steven's expression remained sorrowful.

"I'm going to miss you, Ra," he said, leaning over and hugging her tightly.

"I'll miss you, too. But we'll see each other in June," she said brightly, her hand going into her pocket and clutching the phial of glamour counter tightly. Steven nodded, and then smiled.

"You'll have a ripping time at Hogwarts," he assured her. "But just in case…" he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Pick a hand, any hand," he instructed, holding them out in fists. She tapped on the left one, and he opened it to reveal a deck of cards.

"Now, I know that your father doesn't approve of Muggle magic, but I thought you'd enjoy showing some of the other children those tricks I've showed you. But it's our little secret, okay?" He winked at her as she giggled and nodded.

"I promise."

"Good girl." He kissed the top of her head as she began to move towards the barrier with her trolley. "Send me an owl if there's anything you need!" he called after her.

She burst through the barrier onto platform nine and three quarters just as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. There were people milling all around; parents were saying goodbye to their children, and the children were doing their best to join their friends who they hadn't seen all summer. Aurora grinned as she made her way to the first car. She found an empty compartment easily, and after securing her trunk, she curled up on the seat and withdrew the phial.

Her body trembled with excitement – would it work? – as she uncorked the potion and drank it in a gulp, and then pulled her jacket over her head as an extra precaution. She heard other children filing onto the train, some in her own compartment, but she didn't risk peeking out until the train had started moving. Closing her eyes and whispering to herself, "Please let it work, please let it work," she pretended to be waking from a refreshing nap. Facing the window, she cracked open an eye – and saw the familiar hazel reflected back at her. Now jubilant, she looked around the compartment with interest.

A tall girl with short brown hair was sitting directly opposite her, regarding her curiously through her intense green eyes.

"Hello, Aurora. I'm Erin. Erin Cafferty."

"How'd you know my name?" she asked defensively.

"Usually people say 'nice to meet you' or something a bit more polite."

"Sorry," Aurora said with a frown. "It's, er, great to meet you, Erin. Now would you mind telling me –"

"Trunk," Erin replied with a smirk.

"Oh," Aurora said as she relaxed slightly. "Sorry about that. I'm just a bit excited about going to Hogwarts. My f-" she stopped. She'd almost spoiled things already! She was Aurora Rinkle again, who lived with her great-uncle Malichi Melison. "I was nearly sent somewhere else," she finished lamely.

"I know how you feel. Nicole almost sent me to Beauxbatons."

"Really?" Aurora asked with a fresh wave of unease. "That's where I was meant to go, too!" She and Erin stared at each other for a moment before Aurora asked, "Um, who is Nicole?"

"My mum. She finally decided that learning French just to go to a school would be silly." She smiled, then turned to stare out the window. Aurora didn't have much time to puzzle over what she'd said as a girl seated next to her tried to engage her in conversation.

"Hi! I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Your name's Aurora? That's pretty. Mine's Jamie Hobbs." She extended her hand, and Aurora shook it warily.

"Hullo."

"I'm a first year as well. Which house do you think you'll be in?"

"I've no idea," Aurora answered honestly.

"I'm hoping to get into Slytherin. My mum was one, and she loved it!"

"Slytherin? Better not get your hopes up too much," Erin interjected from the corner.

"Why not? I guess I've got as much chance as you do to be in there!" Jamie's voice had risen, and her lips were pursed in a slight pout as her grey eyes narrowed at the taller girl.

"Exactly." Erin turned again to stare out the window, and Jamie exchanged confused looks with Aurora.

"What was that about?" Jamie whispered. Aurora shrugged as she looked back at the mysterious girl sitting across from her. She obviously felt as though she knew things the others didn't. Aurora frowned as she glanced up at her trunk, which had been magicked to read 'Aurora Rinkle'. Odd, she had never noticed it…Before she had time to dwell on the matter, an announcement was made to change into their robes. Aurora complied, sticking her mother's perfume bottle in the pocket. By the time she was ready, they'd arrived at Hogwarts.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to my few reviewers! Your comments make me feel warm and fuzzy! 


	4. Hogwarts

_Chapter Four: Hogwarts__  
_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cloudless night sky offered a full view of the stars twinkling above the students' heads as they disembarked at Hogsmeade Station, the lights on the platform doing little to dispel the darkness more than a few feet in any direction. Aurora stood on her tiptoes on the platform in an attempt to get a better view of the barely discernable rooftops in the village just down from the station when she was shoved roughly from behind. She instinctively threw out her hands to catch herself, earning a painful scrape on her right hand for her trouble. Wincing, she stood and surveyed the perpetrator, a blonde boy that towered over her, his pointed chin thrust out defiantly as he regarded her with the most unfriendly pair of grey eyes she'd ever come across. Standing just behind him were two much larger boys – vertically _and_ horizontally – both of whom were clenching and unclenching their fists threateningly.

"Watch where you're going," the smaller boy snapped maliciously.

"You pushed _me_," she replied, wrapping a handkerchief around her scraped hand as her temper began to flare.

"Watch how you speak to me, pipsqueak!" He leaned in so that his face was inches from hers, but Aurora couldn't have felt less threatened - her father was _much_ more intimidating, and if she could bear him, she could bear this boy.

"Why? Are you going to set your goons on me?" she retorted, relishing the surprised look in his eyes as she leaned forward just as much. "It must take real bravery to attack _a girl_ who is half your size. Of course, that's probably all they're smart enough to do," she said, glaring at them. They stepped closer menacingly, but stopped when they heard a voice booming overhead.

"First years, this way!"

Looking up, they saw a man whose head came just inches below the top of the train, his hand dangling a lantern over their heads. The light of the swaying lantern cast shadows over the large man's face, but Aurora could tell just by the sheer size of him that he had to be Hagrid, the gamekeeper that her uncle and godfather had always spoken so highly of.

Aurora cast a last glare at the trio of boys before obediently standing in the pool of light beneath Hagrid's lantern, taking a space between Erin and Jamie.

"Hey Aurora, who was that boy you were talking to? He was kinda cute," Jamie said, craning her neck to try and spot him in the crowd of students.

"I didn't get his name," Aurora said. "I was too busy telling him off for knocking me down."

"I suspect he was just nervous," Jamie said, shrugging dismissively as she continued searching for the boy.

"It'll get a lot worse before it gets better, believe me," Erin told Aurora, grinning, as they began to follow Hagrid down a winding path. Aurora frowned – she had no idea what Erin meant.

Now far from the station, the only light that pierced the surrounding darkness was Hagrid's lantern, and the first years seemed to unconsciously huddle in the midst of the light rather than face what may lie in wait just off the path. They soon came to a halt at the edge of a vast pool of inky nothingness, which Aurora realized was a lake only after Hagrid had seated himself into a boat. The other students began to fill the waiting watercraft, and Aurora and her two companions followed suit.

As soon as the last first year had procured a vessel, the cluster of boats began to move of their own accord, eliciting startled cries from some of the students. Aurora wondered if they'd be able to see Hogwarts from the lake – in all the years her father had been a teacher at the school, she couldn't remember a time she'd ever seen the castle. The stories her guardians had told her about the school flooded her brain as she craned her neck to catch her first glimpse of it.

They rounded a bend in the lake and suddenly Hogwarts was there – much closer than she had expected – lights blazing from its multitude of windows. Silhouetted against the night sky, the school looked nothing short of spectacular, and its beauty took Aurora's breath away. Even from the boats she could see the enormity of the castle, and she felt her excitement soar.

Aurora disembarked eagerly with the other students when they arrived at the boat dock. The castle loomed in front of them invitingly, and they once again fell into step behind Hagrid, who led them up the hill and stopped in front of a large wooden door. As though their arrival had been announced, the door swung inward, a stern-looking witch with square glasses framed in the doorway. Her black hair was drawn back tightly into a bun, and Aurora could tell just by the woman's expression that she was not someone to take lightly.

"Here are all the first years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, giving the new students a reassuring smile before heading through an open door on his right.

"I want to welcome you all to Hogwarts, first years," the witch announced, her bespectacled eyes resting on each one for a brief moment. "The sorting ceremony will begin shortly in order to place you in your respective houses. Follow me, in a single file line, please." She gazed upon the group sternly, and then led them through the doors behind her, and on into the Great Hall.

All of the older students were already seated at the four long tables that lined the room, their eyes following the first years' progression. Aurora fidgeted nervously as her own gaze swept the room for a familiar face – and found it when she saw her father seated at the staff table, next to a man in an ugly purple turban.

Her stomach began to turn as she remembered that she'd successfully reversed her glamour – she hadn't given much thought to what he father would say – or do. His eyes were roving over the faces of the other students, and before she could look away, they'd found hers. Even from this distance, she could see his jaw clench and imagined the vein in his neck standing out. Tearing her eyes away, she began to look at the other teachers, though she could still feel her father's furious stare.

Erin gave her a nudge, and then whispered in her ear. "Things will turn out better than you expect them too, don't worry so much."

Aurora stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Erin grinned, and then pointed at the front of the room, where a frayed old hat sat on a stool. "Oh you mean the sorting ceremony? My uncle told me all about it before I left. All they do is place the hat on your head, and it shouts out which house you're in."

Erin smiled, but didn't say anything. Aurora had the funny feeling that she'd misinterpreted her statement, but she didn't have much time to dwell on it as the ceremony began. Aurora was thankful that the first years had to face the other students instead of the staff – though her father seemed as though he was boring a hole in the back of her skull with his gaze.

She watched the students as name after name was called; Erin was sorted into Ravenclaw very quickly, but the hat looked like it couldn't quite decide what to do with Jamie. Aurora could see her sitting there, her fingers crossed. The hat finally placed her in Ravenclaw as well, and she looked very disgruntled as she took her seat.

"Draco Malfoy!" announced Professor McGonagall. Aurora saw the blond boy who'd pushed her sit on the chair, the hat placing him immediately in Slytherin.

"That's no surprise," she mumbled to nobody in particular. Then a name was called that made her breath catch in her throat.

"Harry Potter!" Aurora, along with every other person in the hall, craned her neck to get a better look at the skinny boy with the tousled hair and lightning scar. She'd heard about him all her life from Malichi and Steven, and here he was getting sorted! She hadn't even realized they were the same age. Harry was sorted into Gryffindor, and a few more students were called. Then it was her turn.

"Aurora Rinkle!" For a brief moment, her success with the glamour counter gave her false courage. She hesitated, wondering what would happen if she chose not to respond to her assumed name. It was the thought that she would be shipped to Beauxbatons for sure that caused her to make her way shakily to the stool.

The hat was barely on her head before it shouted, "Ravenclaw!" Beaming from ear to ear, she took a seat between Erin and Jamie. She risked a glance up at her father, who – though definitely still angry – looked as though he was disappointed.

Severus watched as the first years filed into the hall, searching for Aurora. Scanning the faces of the students, two boys near the front of the line immediately caught his attention. He groaned inwardly as he recognized the red hair and freckles of the taller boy.

_Not another Weasley!_ he moaned to himself, then stopped as he recognized the boy next to him. It couldn't be James - no, not James. It had to be his son, Harry. Albus had told him the boy would be starting this term. His eyes narrowed as memories of James ran through his head, and he was thankful the boy looked like his father – it would be much easier to forget who his mother had been. Then Harry turned to look at the staff table, and Severus felt his breath catch. _The eyes_. The brat had Lily's eyes. Albus had mentioned it, of course, but being faced with the truth – the boy turned away, and Severus was able to compose himself again.

Forcing his attention from Harry, he spotted his daughter, near the middle of the line. Anger surged through him as he recognized her – she had not taken her glamour potion, and now stood, a tiny tin-type of her mother. It was as though the ghosts of the past had been sent to torment him…

The sorting ceremony began, but though he clapped briefly after each student, his focus remained on his daughter. When she was sorted into Ravenclaw, he felt a stab of annoyance. He had anticipated that she would be in Slytherin, as his family had been for generations. No doubt her placement stemmed from her likeness to her mother.

_That's something,_ _then, _he thought idly. _So long as she's a bit more – sensible_. Further dwellings on his late wife were prevented as Quirinus Quirrell, newly appointed to the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, attempted to get Severus' attention.

"What is it, Quirrell?" he growled, not bothering to disguise his agitation.

"S-Severus, can you b-believe it? Harry P-Potter is at Hogwarts! It's t-terribly excit-ting, d-don't you th-think?"

"I am thrilled by the mere thought, I assure you." Evidently, the sarcasm and anger in Severus' tone put the other man off his desire for conversation with the Potions Master, because he laughed nervously and turned to the teacher on his other side as the plates before them filled with food.

Now that the sorting was finished, Severus forced himself to keep his gaze off both the Potter boy and Aurora. It would not do for him to seem overly interested – in either of them.

_Which is a good thing for her,_ he thought with a sneer. _I can't very well march up and discipline her without cause, and I can't approach her Head of House, either._ The only staff members knowledgeable about Aurora's relationship with Severus were Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, and Albus. And though the head of Ravenclaw – Filius Flitwick – was not prone to gossip, Severus had no inclination to clue him in.

_No doubt she'll be expecting _some_ repercussion, _he mused as he allowed his eyes to flick towards Aurora, catching her in a worried stare towards him. Severus smirked as he regarded his food. Letting her stew would be nearly as effective as a howler – and far less likely to draw unwanted attention.

After the feast, the first year Ravenclaws followed a gangly looking fifth year prefect named David out into the entry hall, where he checked to make sure they were all there. Then he launched into an elaborate speech about how prefects were afforded a certain respect. It would have gone quite well if he hadn't tripped up the main stairs after he was finished. The first years toppled over each other at the abrupt stop. All of the students laughed as they picked themselves up, including a group of seventh years who were following them.

"Forget about that vanishing step _again_, Davey?"

"My name is _David_," he spat at the older boy. "And no, I didn't _forget_. I was merely demonstrating the um, - the-" The seventh years continued to laugh as they pushed past the group.

"Don't mind Davey, kids. He thinks he's all that and a bag of crisps," explained a very tall girl with bright red hair as the first years began walking again. David was muttering under his breath, and didn't speak until they had come to a dead end in front of a suit of armor.

"What's this all about?" Jamie asked quietly.

"Maybe he got us lost," Aurora whispered. Erin joined in the fit of giggles Aurora's words inspired, but all three of them stopped when David walked over to them.

"What's so funny back here?" he asked crossly.

"Um, nothing, Dave."

"MY NAME IS DAVID!" he roared.

"Sorry, _David_," Aurora corrected.

"Good, now if you don't mind, I'll continue with what I was saying!"

"Um, were you talking before? I didn't hear you." Aurora didn't know why she'd said it, but she knew she'd gone too far as soon as the words were out of her mouth. David's face turned red with anger, and his dark brown eyes looked like they were going to bug out of their sockets.

"What's your name_?" he demanded._

"Aurora Rinkle," she said blandly.

"Well, _Rinkle_, you had better learn not to speak out of turn around here. The teachers certainly won't put up with it!" She stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Okay..." she said when he remained silent. He turned on his heel and marched to the front of the crowd.

"Now, each house has a guardian that blocks the entrance to their common rooms. Jonna," he said, indicating the suit of armor, "is ours. The guardians will not grant anyone access without the password, so make sure you remember it. If you learn another house's password, you'd better not use it, because if you're caught in another common room, you face expulsion." He turned to Jonna. "Pink Elephants," he said pompously. Jonna bowed, then moved aside to reveal a door in the wall, which they followed David through. The students looked around them, murmuring with excitement.

The Ravenclaw common room was rather large, with numerous blue armchairs scattered around a magnificent stone fireplace. The remainder of the room held tables of assorted sizes, presumably for studying purposes. David then directed them to their perspective dormitories, where their trunks awaited them.

"This is great!" Aurora said, grinning as they entered. She quickly secured the bed nearest one of the large windows, then changed into her pajamas. As she put her robes away, she reached inside the pocket for her mother's perfume bottle – only to find that it wasn't there. Frantically she began to search the robe, then kneeled onto the floor and checked under the beds.

"What are you doing?" A tall blonde girl stood at the entrance to the doorway, an eyebrow raised in bemusement.

"I've lost something," Aurora said hastily, bending again to search beneath Erin's bed.

"What was it?" she heard the new girl ask.

"A perfume bottle – it must have fallen out of my pocket. It's small, but it- I _have_ to find it!" Aurora stood as she realized that it wasn't beneath anyone's bed.

"Maybe it's in the common room," Erin suggested, placing a reassuring hand on Aurora's shoulder. The shorter girl turned and fled into the common room, ignoring the stares from the few students who hadn't gone to bed as she began searching beneath each of the fluffy armchairs. Her dormmates followed, their eyes roving the floor around them as Aurora's agitation increased.

"I don't think it's here," Jamie said apologetically.

"Then _where_ is it?" Aurora asked, now on the verge of tears. Suddenly, she remembered the collision after dinner. "I'll bet you a galleon it fell out when we all ran into David!" she exclaimed.

"Probably," Erin agreed. Aurora felt herself relax as she sank into an armchair. The last of the older students left to retire to their own dormitories, leaving the first years alone.

The tall blonde, who still had not introduced herself, grinned at Aurora. "You're going to go and get it, aren't you?" she asked.

"She is _not_ going to sneak out on her first night!" Erin scolded.

"It'll be there in the morning on the way to breakfast," Jamie agreed. But Aurora was already thinking along the lines of the blonde.

"If I hurry, it won't take long," she reasoned. "And if I wait until morning – what if someone else takes it? I _have_ to get it back!"

Erin and Jamie still did not look convinced, but the blonde continued to grin."Just think," she pushed, "you might find some of the hidden passages!" Her blue eyes seemed to light up at the mere prospect of any adventure. "C'mon, I _dare_ you to run down and get it."

She wasn't sure why, but the blonde girl's dare only strengthened her resolve. And she _would_ be quick. Aurora stood, her face set in determination. "I _have_ to go," she declared, ignoring the disapproving stare of Jamie. Before they could talk her out of it, she'd left the common room.

As Jonna repositioned herself in front of the door, Aurora suddenly realized what she was doing. But there was no turning back – she was convinced if she didn't go after the bottle now, she'd never see it again. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she crept down staircase after staircase until she reached the Entrance Hall. The light from the candles flickered over something just below the vanishing step, and she hurried down towards it. The bottle lay on its side, and Aurora was relieved to see that it had survived unscathed. She stuck it into her pocket, and began the long trek back up to Ravenclaw Tower.

She didn't realize anything was out of place until she stepped off the staircase and into a corridor she didn't recall seeing before. Frowning, and thinking she must be tired, she followed the corridor to another set of stairs. These led to yet another unfamiliar row of doors. Struggling to remember if she'd taken a wrong turn, she didn't notice until it was too late that she was headed right into the wall – except instead of squashing her nose, she tripped and fell completely through the stone. Glancing around, she saw that she was in a narrow passage, a set of steps leading up, and another leading down.

_This must be one of the shortcuts!_ she thought to herself. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to follow it, she did so, coming out in yet another corridor, this one lined with doors. Feeling that she had gone farther than she'd needed to, she turned to take the passage back to the corridor she'd just left – and ran headlong into her father.

"What are you doing down here?" he hissed, his voice low.

"I -I'm trying to get back to my dorm, but I got lost," she stammered, still somewhat startled. He looked around to be sure nobody was there before he grabbed her arm and began leading her away.

"This corridor was expressly forbidden - didn't you hear Professor Dumbledore explain that at the feast?"

She frowned, remembering something about the third floor. "But this can't be the third floor - I must have gone up six separate staircases already!" she protested.

"Are you suggesting that _I _do not know where I am?" he asked savagely as they turned the corner and began climbing a set of stairs. She shook her head, but he seemed not to notice. "Steven decided not to enforce the glamour draught, I see."

"No – I took the glamour potion!" she insisted. He stopped walking, turning a glare of ice upon her. "I just – I took the counter when I got on the train," she finished quickly, wanting to look anywhere else but at him. His eyes seemed magnetic, and she found she could not tear her own gaze away.

"_Where_ _did you get the counter_?" he demanded, his face now inches from her own.

"I – I brewed it," she admitted. "In my school trunk. It was in a book from the sitting room," she added hastily, as though the fact alleviated her guilt. His lips tightened, and his anger seemed to increase as he surveyed her.

"You – _brewed_ it?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yes."

"Have you any idea what could have happened? The smallest mistake with that draught might have turned it into a poison! Were you so anxious to break the rules that you felt it worth risking your own life?"

"I – I didn't think-"

"_That_ is painfully clear," he interrupted, his eyes glittering.

"I just –" she sighed heavily. "-just wanted to be myself."

"Back on that, are we? You foolish child – appearances and names have _nothing_ to do with who you are. That glamour potion was for your own protection-"

"From what?" she asked quickly, her heart racing. This was as close to an explanation as she'd ever been given. "What do I need protecting from?"

"Do _not_ interrupt me again," he warned. "It is not your place to question _me_."

"Yes, sir," she muttered.

"What's happened to your hand?" he asked suddenly, indicating the handkerchief still wrapped around her palm.

"Oh, nothing," she lied, wincing as he removed it, pulling some dead skin from the wound. "I fell getting off the train."

He grasped her hand and studied it intently before dropping it. "It's just a scratch, nothing that won't heal on its own," he muttered, more to himself than Aurora. They continued to walk, neither of them saying anything, until they approached the corridor that contained the entrance to the common room.

"So _this_ is what you consider good behavior?" he snarled. "Not even the first day of the term, and you're already sneaking out of your dormitory!" His anger seemed to have resurfaced as Aurora continued to stare at her feet as if there were something terribly interesting about them. "May I remind you that you are supposed to be keeping a low profile?" He leaned down to her, his hand under her chin to force her to look at him face-to-face. His eyes were narrowed until they were barely open, his nostrils flaring with indignation.

"Five points from Ravenclaw for being out-of-bounds, and as for the glamour -" he paused, as though he was trying to think of a suitable punishment. "Any further errors of judgment on your part, and you'll be on a train to Beauxbatons. Do I make myself clear?" She nodded, pulling her head away so he couldn't see her tears. "Good. Now get back to your dormitory."

He watched as she walked over to Jonna, spoke the password softly, and then disappeared through the door. Sighing as he walked back to his own quarters, he thought that coping with both James' son _and_ his own daughter at Hogwarts was going to make this a _very_ long year.


End file.
